In the closet?
by BenquashaFraser
Summary: Frannie hears Ben and Ray 'talking' in the closet and soon word spreads around the station that Benny and Ray are an item. Can it be true? What were they doing in the closet?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Due South. If I did… I don't think I'd have changed much. I love this show.

This is in response to one of the challenges posted in the Due South Forum.

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Francesca Vecchio was walking past the broom closet when the sound of voices inside made her stop dead in her tracks.

"What are Benny and Ray doing in the closet" She whispered to herself. As she was about to open the door, something stopped her.

"Come on Benny."

"Ray. I really don't think… oh."

"See that's better isn't it Benny?"

"Oh ye… I mean (coughs) yes thank you Ray" Francesca held her breath. She didn't want to let her imagination run wild on this one.

"Here Benny let me do that for you."

"Really Ray. I'm fine. I… Oh my. Oh, I…" Francesca couldn't take it anymore. She ran away from the broom closet, tears running down her cheeks. Bursting into the ladies room she was confronted by Elaine.

"Frannie, what is it?" What's wrong?" Francesca sniffed a few times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"It's Benny. He's… oh God… he's gay." Elaine's face fell, her jaw dropped.

"What do you mean?"

"I heard him and Ray, in the closet." Elaine smile and shook her head.

"They always go in there to talk. It doesn't mean that Benny's gay." Francesca clenched her fist and stomped her foot.

"No! You don't understand. I heard them… you know! Benny's gay… with my brother. I think I'm going to be sick." She ran into one of the stalls and began to heave into the toilet bowl. Elaine just stared at her and rolled her eyes, Frannie always was a bit of a drama queen. Outside she heard a commotion and so she stuck her head around the door to take a look. Detectives Huey and Gardino were talking animatedly.

"You here that Louis? The mountie's gay." His partner gave him a friendly punch on the arm.

"Yeah I heard but… so's Vecchio." Huey laughed.

"What you never suspected that?" The partners walked off down the corridor laughing with each other. Elaine went back into the washroom, there was going to be trouble, she could see it coming. What were people going to say when word got out that the Mountie wasn't available? What were the consequences going to be for Ray? Elaine was going to get to the end of this if it killed her. What was she to do if it really was true that the broom closet wasn't the only closet that the constable and the mountie hid in?

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Please R & R. Should I continue? 


	2. In the Closet

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Due South. If I did… I don't think I'd have changed much. I love this show.

Thankyou to Klove0511 for the idea and the review.

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Ray was walking down the corridor when he caught sight of his best friend slumped against the wall holding his side. He ran up to Benny and put his arm around the slouching man. 

"Benny what happened? Are you ok?" Fraser grimaced and looked at Ray. "Ok stupid question. Of course you're not ok." Fraser shook his head and attempted to straighten up but he winced in pain before he could fully straighten up.

"I'm fine Ray. It'll pass, just give me a minute."

"A minute? Yeah whatever Benny." He opened the door to the broom closet and ushered his friend through the door. Benny leaned heavily on Ray as he walked. After the door was closed Ray turned on Benny. "Now spill it. What the hell happened? Don't you dare lie to me Benny."

"I have never lied to you Ray." Ray just crossed his arms and stared at him. "Ok but you have to promise me that you won't tell anybody. I… I don't think I would be able to live it down." Ray nodded and tilted his head.

"Alright I promise not to tell anyone now tell me what happened." Benny sat down heavily on the boxes, put his head in his hands, and sighed.

"This morning, as I was standing at my post, a small child was running down the sidewalk when Diefenbaker ran out of the consulate. The child… he tripped over Dief and flew head first into me." Ray bit hi lip to stop himself from laughing at the mental picture he had of the scene Ben was describing. "I was about to get up and make she the young boy was ok when he stood up and kicked me in the same spot his head had just hit. He ran off screaming obscenities about Canadians before I could make sure that he wasn't injured." Ray raised his hands and made a gesture to stop Benny from explaining further and to stop himself from laughing.

"I think the kid's ok Benny. He probably would have done more than kick you if he hadn't been. Now where are you hurt?"

"Well it's not that it really hurt it's just that… well my uniform is… you see"

"Come on Benny spit it out already."

"You see Ray I seem to have put on a little weight while I've been in the city and… well the pouch on my belt digs into my side and what with the bruise that's developing there… it's beginning to hurt." Ray frowned and stepped closer to Benny.

"So take it off." Benny shook his head.

"I really don't think I should Ray. It wouldn't be right to wear my uniform without the belt. I would be inappropriately dressed." Ray frowned and made a move for Fraser's belt.

"Take it off." The Mountie winced when his belt moved slightly and the detective slowed down and made his movements a little slower. His voice was noticeably softer. "Come on Benny" Fraser tried to struggle but he could barely move his right hand side without causing himself pain.

"Ray, I really don't think…" By now Ray had managed to undo the belt and so he loosened it. "Oh." Benny released a sigh of relief as the pressure was taken off his sore side. Ray stood and grinned in satisfaction at his victory.

"See that's better isn't it Benny?" he said smugly. Ben rubbed the bruise and replied, absentmindedly.

"Oh ye…" Ray just stared at him gob-smacked. When Benny realised that his remrk had been a bit out of character he tried to backtrack quickly. "I mean…" He gave a nervous and slightly embarrassed cough, "Yes. Thank you Ray." He began to rummage through the pouch on his belt and pulled out a bag of a natural remedy that was supposed to reduce the swelling around bruises. He placed it on the box next to him and tried to undo his jacket with his left hand.

"Here Benny let me do that for you." The mountie stubbornly shook his head.

"Really Ray. I'm fine. I…" The slight wince Benny gave was all the invitation Ray needed. His friend was not fine and if he was too pig-headed to see that, then Ray would make him see it. He leaned in and made quick work of the buttons his friend had been struggling with. "Oh my," Fraser knew he was defeated and was, in fact, very grateful for Ray's assistance. Ray lifted Benny's shirt and applied the ointment to Benny's side. He chose not to comment on the huge bruise, even though he knew that there was no way that was caused by some kid running into him and then kicking him. He must have pressed a little too hard because Benny winced again. "Oh. I…" Ray moved his hand away quickly.

"I'm sorry Benny. Did I hurt you?" Benny shook his head.

"No, no. I'm fine. Thank you kindly Ray." Ray just shrugged and wiped the lotion off his hand and onto a nearby box. He helped his friend get back into his uniform, minus the belt, and opened the door. He was just in time to hear his sister's voice echo down the corridor.

""No! You don't understand. I heard them… you know! Benny's gay… with my brother." Ray's eyes widened in horror and he quickly slammed the closet door closed again.

"Benny, we have a problem." Benny just frowned in confusion. "Frannie heard us talking in here and she's jumped to the wrong conclusion and now she's just spread that around the who station with her loud voice. Now everyone is going to think we are gay and together. This is not good."

"Ray. Ray! We can just explain that she misunderstood the situation and straighten the whole thing out." Rya covered his face with his hands in despair.

"Bad choice of words Benny my friend, anyway they won't believe us; they never believe anything that you have to deny. Oh ye and if you haven't noticed…" he changed his tone of voice to a stage whisper, "we're in a closet!" Enlightenment began to dawn on Fraser's face and he opened his moth slightly as he thought about his response.

"Ah, I see." Ray nodded, his most knowing nod.

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What y'all think? Please R & R. Oh and Thank you Kindly for reading this, I do hope you are enjoying it. 


	3. Facing the Lieutenant

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'em. You don't have to throw it in my face though!

Thanks for the reviews peeps.

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Ray and Benny drove back to Benny's apartment in silence. It had been a very strange day at work. After Frannie's little outburst, the whole squad had thought that they were gay. They had been getting weird looks from people all day. Then, when they had been sitting at Ray's desk, Huey and Gardino had started giving them crap about batting for the other team. That had almost turned into a fist fight when Fraser had, for some reason unknown to Ray, tried to explain to the two detectives where the phrase 'batting for the other team' had come from.

For once Ray had been grateful when Welsh, seeing the commotion, had called Fraser and him into his office. Welsh had told them that he really didn't care what they did on their own time so long as they kept their personal lives out of the office and especially out of the broom closet. When Ray had asked him what he meant Welsh had given him a pointed look before informing him that Francesca had heard them in the broom closet. At this Fraser, assuming Welsh meant his confession about the child, had turned as red as his tunic and Welsh, taking that as an admission of guilt, had looked about ready to explode.

"So it's true!" Benny had looked to Ray, his eyes pleading with him. He wanted Ray to help him explain to the Lieutenant what had been going on in the closet without giving away his 'secret'.

"Not exactly Lieutenant. See Fraser and me were in the closet but this is all just a big misunderstanding." Welsh had crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "I was helping Benny uh… Constable Fraser to dress a wound he ah received during his shift at the consulate this morning. Welsh had given the pair a sceptical look so Ray had continued. "Frannie ought to get her ears checked and maybe a shrink to look at her imagination if she mistook Fraser's groans of pain for something else." Welsh had chosen to ignore Ray's last comment and turn his targets on the Mountie instead.

"What injury is this Constable?" Benny ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Bruised ribs Sir." He had looked Welsh straight in the eye and the Lieutenant had known that, although the Mountie wasn't lying to him, he wasn't going to elaborate anymore. He had let the men out of his office and promised to sort out Huey and Gardino for them; he figured those two would pass the word around the office quickly enough. They had left the office, after Fraser had thanked Welsh kindly, of course.

By now Ray had pulled up in front of Fraser's apartment block. He switched off the engine and followed Fraser up to his apartment. He locked the door behind them with a chair and leaned his back against it. He folded his arms and gave Benny his serious look.

"Now Benny you gonna tell me how you really got that bruise or am I gonna have to beat it outta ya?" Fraser slumped on his seat and leaned his head back against the wall. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I don't know."

"You don't know if you're going to tell me?"

"No Ray. I don't know how I got them. I just woke up this morning with a rather large bruise covering my side. I wasn't lying about the child though Ray."

"Yeah, yeah, Benny I know Mounties don't lie. So ah Dief beat you up in your sleep then?"

"I really don't know Ray."

"I got it! You sleepwalk… bump into things, maybe you fell outta bed onto your box." Benny moved his head off the wall and looked at his friend.

"I thought about that Ray but I'm sure my father would have told me if I walked in my sleep." Ray gave Benny a funny look.

"Your father's dead Fraser." Fraser rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Yeah I know but try telling him that. He never leaves me alone. He seems to get some kind of perverse pleasure out of gloating when I mess up, or rather when he thinks I have messed up." Fraser turned his head sharply to look at the other side of the room. "I am not talking about you behind your back. You're dead! No I'm not losing my mind just because I walk in my sleep. It is actually a common ailment that many people suffer from. You what? Why would you trip me up when I'm asleep!" Ray looked at Fraser like he was out of his mind. He walked over and began to shake his friend's shoulder.

"Yo Benny! Hey! Fraser!" Fraser looked at Ray and pointed at the other side of the room.

"Do you see what I have to put up with? … No of course you don't." Ray sat down on the other chair and shook his head.

"Ok Benny, I won't tell anyone about your sleepwalking if you promise that you won't talk to your father in public. People might think you're crazy and lock you up."

"I promise." Ray smiled and got up to leave."

"See ya tomorrow Fraser."

"Oh and Ray?" Benny called suddenly. Ray turned back to face him. "Thank you kindly Ray." Ray shook his head and continued out of the door, laughing softly to himself as Fraser went back to arguing with his dad.

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What did you think? 


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